Mowing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. STEWARD, OF PLANO, ILLINOIS.

MOWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,683, dated April 20, 1880.

Application filed December 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JN0. F. STEWAED, of Plano, county of Kendall, and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mowing-MachinesLof which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows the machine as if viewed from a position to the right and rear. Fig. 2 is a top view, showing the arrangement of the gearing. Figs- 3 and 4 are details of the device for rocking the cutter-bar. Fig. 5 shows the manner of connecting the rod F with the shoe, which is done by providing at 7c a uni-` versal joint, so that the shoe is permitted to rock to a limited extent independent of the bar F.

'lhe brace c is provided to give stiffness to the joint in the direction of draft ofthe mower.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of mowers; and its nature consists in so adapting the push-bar of a front-cut mower or its equivalent in a rear-cut mower that a rocking motion given it will be imparted to the bar capable of being vibrated, to which the cutter-bar is hinged.

In the drawings, A represents the frame, its sleeve a being cored out for the reception of the axle b, the said axle terminating in the wheels B B.

Within the frame A is cast the trough O, in

-which provision is made for the mounting of the gears d, e, and f andthe pinions h, w, and g.

D is a sleeve, in which is journ aled the crankshaft t'. The trough Gis so extended to the left as to make room for the bevel-pinion g.

The crank-wheel E is mounted upon the crank-shaft, as in ordinary mowers.

F is a vibratable bar, to which is hinged, at k, the shoe G, to which the cutter-bar H is secured.

Beneath the forward left-hand corner of the frame A is provided an eye, (not shown,) into which is placed a hook formed upon the left end of the vibratable link F.

A universal Ajoint is thus formed which admits of the link F being rocked, and also admits of a rising-and-falling motion.

N o arrangement of devices is shown for raising the bar, none being necessary for a proper understanding 'of the features which I claim as my invention.

Near the right end of the vibratable link F is mounted the box I, there secured by the bolt l, the said bolt forming a pivot on which the box may vibrate. j

Beneath the rear left-hand corner of the frame A, and projecting therefrom, is the sup# port K. Within this support is a recess for the reception of the rear end of the push-bar L, the front end of which is bent to thc left and journaled in the box I.

The rear end of the push-bar is held in the recess in the support K by the cap m, which is there secured by bolts.

Integral with the cap mis made the sector a. The recess 0 in the supportKis made iiaring in its forward direction, so as to admit of a rising-and-falling movement of the pushbar L. The rear end of the push-bar, being thus loosely journaled, admits ot' both a vertical vibration and a rocking motion.

The recess o at the rear or right is closed by a part of the support K extending upward so as to form an abutment for the push-bar. This bar at its rear is bent upward to form the lever M, by means of which it may be rocked. The lever also, in combination with the cap m, prevents the bar being drawn forward outl of the recess.

The forward end of the push-bar being bent, as shown in Fig. l, it will be readily understood that a rocking motion imparted to it will, in turn, impart a rocking motion to the link F, capable also of being vibrated.

The swinging of the lever M in a rearward direction, it will be seen, will increase the upward angle' of the guards, while a reverse niotion will pitch them downward.

For the retention of the lever M in any position in which it may be placed, a latch, p, is provided to engage in the notches of the segment n. This latch may be operated in any manner, the one shown being, perhaps, preferable, consisting of the spring r, the rod s, and thumb-lever t.

The gear d is secured permanently on the axle b, and the bevel-gear f is journaled loosely thereon.

In operation the gear d imparts its motion to the pinion h and it gives motion to the IOO bevel-gear f through the gear e and pinion fw, the last, in turn, engaging with the bevel-pin ion g, thereby giving motion to the crank-shaft.

I provide for unshipping the gearing by mounting the pinion h, and gear e upon the shaft u, furnished at each end with journals o o eccentric thereto, supported in bearings at either end of the trough C.

Secured to the shaft u is the lever It will be seen that a movement of the lever x over forward will carry the pinion h and gear e out ot' engagement with those mounted on the axle b.

Near the front of the frame A is placed the lug y, to which is hinged the gear-cover N. A corresponding hinge is furnished by a hood on the sleeve. (Not shown.)

' In addition to the desirability ot' permitting the cutter-bar to rise and fall, it is well to provide ajoint at 7c that will admit of said bar having a rocking motion independent ot' the bar F, so that in passing across furrows or over bogs the points of the guards will be allowed to rise.

To attain this end I construct the joint as shown in Fig. 5, iu which 7c is a longitudinal section of the eye -tormed in the e-nd ot' the bar F. This eye is made liar-ing in each direction from the center invorder that the {ingerbar may rock to a limited extent upon the pin b passing through it and the lugs aot the shoe G.

It will be readily understood that while the vibrations of the push-bar are being imparted to the bar F it will be given arocking motion, and that the box I will be moved slightly ou its pivot torlnedby the bolt l. This box I may be permanently attached to the bar F, but in suchv a case the bearing for the front end of the push-bar must be slightly slotted horizontally.

I do not conne myself to the arrangement herein described of the bar capable of being vibrated and push-bar, as the devices would be equally operative in a rear-cut mower, where the push-bar would be the equivalent of the draft-rod.

Let it be understood that the rising-and-falling motion of the cutter-bar may take place independently of any-movement in the joint I, which may be distinguished from a universal joint by the fact that the bar F is incapable of any rocking motion independent of the bar L.

It will be seen that it' the forward extremity of the bar L were iirmly united to the bar F the frame-work thus formed would still be capable o f the rising-and-falling motion necessary to admit of the cutter-bar conforming to inequalities of the ground, or permit of the said cutter-bar being elevated to pass over obstructions.

Viewed, then, in the light of the fact that the cutter-bar H is susceptible oi' all movements necessary to admit of a perfect conformity to the inequalities of the ground over which it passes independently of the joint I, the purpose of giving the bar L a rocking motion will be seen to be to move the bar F so as to regulate the pitch of the guards, and it will be further seen thatif the push-bar is retained in any position to which it may be rocked by the ratchet 4and pawl upon the lever the bar F will be thoroughly locked from being rocked.

What I claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mower or reaper, the push-bar L, capable of a rocking motion, and provided with a bent arm at its forward end, journaled in the bar F or some fixed part thereof, so that the rocking motion of the former will be imparted to the latter, as described.

2. In a mower, the combination, with the frame A, of the bar F, capable of being rocked and vibrated, jointed to the rocking push-bar L, angled at its forward extremity, as shown and described.

JOHN F. STEWARD.

W'itnesses:

GEORGE HAISELDEN, 1). G. GRAHAM. 

